The Coolest Pools in the World

Hotels and resorts have been building bigger, cooler, and better pools. From glass bottomed cantilevered pools to infinity pools, it seems that pools are continually pushing the limits of engineering and architecture. Here are a few of the coolest pools in the world.

Holiday Inn, Shanghai – This pool is 24 stories above the street. It overhangs the building by 9 feet and has a glass bottom. Some swimmers say they feel like they are swimming in air. Others say they have an odd sense of fear of heights.

Amangiri Resort, Utah – This pool was designed to wrap around an 80 foot tall rock in the middle of the desert. On the pool deck you can stretch out on king-sized day beds that appear to float on the water or, on a cool night, you can warm up around a fire in the adjacent campfire pavilion.

Nemo 33 Pool, Brussels, Belgium – You don’t need to head to an ocean to go scuba diving. At 113-feet deep, Nemo 33 is the deepest pool in the world. It even has caves that divers can explore at 33-feet deep!

The Aquaria Grande, Mumbai, India – This is currently under construction, but when it’s complete, it will boast one of the world’s grandest architectural ventures. The residential towers take your everyday balconies to the next level, by having a swimming pool on the edge of the balcony. A glass wall on the edge makes the swim even more exhilarating.

The Shaw House Pool, Vancouver, Canada – The “Shaw House” consists of a glass-bottomed swimming pool built directly above the entrance of the house to allow for more light into the home. When standing in the main entrance, you look up and see the bottom of the pool.

Hotel Villa Mahal, Kalkan, Turkey – Perhaps the ultimate infinity pool, this one is perched atop a cliff that drops 181 steps into the Mediterranean. It makes you feel like you could float effortlessly right off the edge. The blue hues of the pool against similar shades of sea and sky instill a sense of calm. Spectacular views of the Taurus Mountains on the Anatolian plateau as you watch the sun sink into the sea.

Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali, Indonesia – This two-level pool is set in a lush rainforest where monkeys chatter in the coconut palms and swift rivers cut through the valleys of Bali.

Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, Nevada – This pool has a large aquarium inside, with just a wall of acrylic separating you from sharks, tropical fish, and sting rays. There is even a three story water slide that is an acrylic tube that wisps you through the aquarium.

The Cambrian, Switzerland – High in the Swiss Alps, this heated outdoor pool gives guests the sensation of swimming straight into the surrounding snow-capped mountains.

Skypark at The Marina Bay Sands, Singapore – This infinity pool has an incredible view of the city, from 55 stories up. Perched atop the three towers of the world’s most expensive hotel, the water seamlessly flows over the edge, into a catchment and back into the pool.

Badeschiff, Berlin, Germany – Located in the polluted water in the Spree River, this pool is actually a shipping container, converted into a pool to give residents a clean place to swim.